


Ever

by DonTheRock



Category: Andi Mack (TV)
Genre: Best Friends, Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffin, Coming Out, Disney Channel, Fluff, Gay, Good Hair Crew (Andi Mack), Improv, M/M, Not-So-Scary-Basketball-Guy, Romantic Comedy, Teenagers, Underdog, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-17
Updated: 2019-02-17
Packaged: 2019-12-30 12:03:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18314915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DonTheRock/pseuds/DonTheRock
Summary: Cyrus has yet to come out to TJ, but his friends are starting to notice the chemistry between the two boys. What will they do when they realize that the boys are both absolutely smitten for each other?





	1. Chapter 1

**Cyrus' POV**

 

Buffy, Andi and Jonah sit on the opposite side of the table, leaving an empty chair next to me for when TJ gets here. Amber's already brought by our orders of milkshakes and baby taters, which we all peck at while we chat. Pretty soon, I hear the door chime and smile when I see TJ enter in. He walks over and lowers down into the seat beside me.

"What's up, Underdog?" he says, then he looks to the rest of the table. "How's it going?"

"Good," Andi says. 

"What are you guys talking about?" TJ asks. 

"Well, you remember that Marty kid?" Andi responds. 

"Who?" 

Andi raises her eyebrows in disbelief. "The kid who Buffy was texting all during the shiva."

"Oh, yeah, right," TJ says, remembering. 

"And you had four classes together," Buffy adds.

He crosses his arms on the table and rolls his eyes, ignoring her statement. "What happened with this Marty?"

Andi grins as she answers, "He asked Buffy on a date."

"It's not a date," Buffy corrects her friend. "It's a hang out."

"Dude, it's a date," Jonah cuts in. 

"No, it's not," Buffy insists. "We're just friends."

Andi rolls her eyes. "Right," she says sarcastically. 

"Anyway, Cyrus," TJ says, turning his attention to me, "did you want to come over tonight? I just got a new game for my PS4 and we could try it out." 

I smile, happy about the idea of spending time alone with him. 

"Sounds great," I reply. "Uh, what about the others?" I ask, silently hoping they don't want to come.

"Oh, right," he says, shifting his eyes over to them. "You guys can come too if you want." 

All three of them share a collective glance before Andi answers, "No thanks. But you two have fun."

TJ looks back at me again with a wide grin on his face. "Looks like it's just you and me."

I smile back, feeling my face heat up a little and hoping it's not too noticeable. Andi gives Buffy a tiny smirk, which I don't understand the context to, but she starts the conversation back up before I can ask. 

We talk as a group for another half hour before TJ says, "I should probably be getting home now. My parents are going out and want to me to be around to watch my sister." He looks at me. "You coming?"

I nod, then say to the others, "I'll see you tomorrow."

"See ya," Andi says.

The others wave and say their goodbyes as TJ and I stand up to go. 

 

**Andi's POV**

 

TJ holds the door open for Cyrus on their way out, and I have to remind myself not to "aww" out loud. As soon as they're gone, I turn to Buffy and Jonah. 

"Okay, they're in love, right?"

Jonah and Buffy break into laughter. 

"Obviously," Buffy says.

"Honestly," Jonah says, "I knew that even before Cyrus came out to me. Have either of them said anything about it?"

I shake my head. "Not to us."

"Not to me either," Jonah says. 

"How are we going to get them together?" I ask. "I mean, we have to get them to admit their feelings somehow."

"Do you think you can talk to TJ?" Buffy asks Jonah. "You're better friends with him than we are."

"I can try, but don't you think we should let them figure this out on their own?"

"It's been months," she replies. "I think we've reached this friend group's limit on net getting involved."

Jonah shakes his head. "I think we should stay out of it. I'd hate to make things awkward for them."

I frown. "You're probably right."

"Fine," Buffy says. "But if they start being all cute together again, don't expect me to stay quiet."

I shrug. "Okay, then the same goes for you and Marty."

Her eyes go wide as she quickly replies, "Actually, never mind. We probably should stay out of it."

I share a smug smile with Jonah and we all go back to drinking our milkshakes.

___________________________________

**TJ's POV**

 

Cyrus' hand brushes mine every once in a while as we walk, making my heart leap with each touch.  _Does he realize what he's doing to me? He must. How could anyone be so amazing and not know that?_

"What are you thinking about?" Cyrus asks me, noticing my focused look. 

"Hmm? Nothing."

"When people say nothing, it's usually something," he says. 

"What are you thinking about?" I ask. 

"Nothing," he says turning red. Then he adds, "I see your point."

I laugh, then notice the bakery as we walk by it. 

"I'll tell you what I'm thinking about now," I say.

I stop walking, causing him to turn and spot what I'm looking at. His face settles into a smile and I stretch my arm around his shoulders to pull him in through the door with me. We go up to the display case and scan the plethora of baked goods.

"What do you want?" I ask him. 

He turns his smile to me, knowing he doesn't need to answer that. I grin back at him then go over to the man at the cash register. 

"Two chocolate chocolate chip muffins, please," I say.

"You mean double chocolate?" he asks. 

Cyrus gives me a glance and we both stifle small chuckles as I say, "Yeah, double chocolate."

He nods and types up the order. "Three, fifty."

I reach to pull out my wallet but Cyrus touches my hand to stop me. 

"I can pay for myself," he insists. 

"Cyrus, I have a job and you don't, so don't fight me on this."

He smiles and says, "Next time I'm paying."

"Sure you are," I respond, knowing for a fact that I won't let that happen.

I pull the cash out of my wallet and give it to the man. A moment later, he passes me the muffins in a paper bag and Cyrus and I exit the store together. 

Cyrus holds out his hands. "May I have my muffin?"

"You know what, maybe I'll just keep both of them for myself," I say with a grin, "since you don't want me paying for you."

"I don't, but you already did, so give me my muffin."

He turns to face me, staring through me as I reach into the bag for the pastry. As I take it out, I kneel down on one knee, then lift it up in front of me. 

"Cyrus Goodman," I say, "will you do me the honour of accepting this muffin?"

He smiles and we both break into laughter. He takes the muffin and I stand back up to start walking alongside him again. 

"You know, you're a lot softer than one would initially think," he says. 

I put my arm around him, giving his shoulder a squeeze against me. 

"I know," I reply. "Don't tell anybody."

I smile at him and he matches my expression before taking a bite out of his muffin. I watch him for a second before eating mine. Our shoulders bump a little as we walk, but I don't dare move away. I like having him next to me. 

For a moment I consider whether now would be a good time to tell him. I'm about to open my mouth to do just that, but then he suddenly cuts off my idea by speaking first.

"Are you ready for your basketball game tomorrow?" he asks me. 

I take a second to adjust to the proper answer, then respond, "Yeah. The team's been practicing really hard, so I'm pretty sure we'll win."

"Oh, you'll definitely win," Cyrus agrees. "I'm skipping my popular kids club meeting, so you are not allowed to disappoint me," he jokes. 

I grin. "With you there, I know I'll win."

He smiles and I think I see him blush, but he turns his head forward before I can clearly tell. I hope he's blushing, because there's no doubt that I'm turning red right now. I couldn't tell you exactly why; it just happens when I'm around him. 


	2. Chapter 2

**TJ's POV**  
  
  
  


I wait by Cyrus' locker, so I can walk him to his first class. I look around, expecting to see him at any moment, but instead I notice Buffy and Andi walking up to me.

"Hey, guys!" I say.

They stop in front of me, smiling.

"Hey, TJ," Andi says. "You waiting for Cyrus?"

"Yup," I reply. "Were you guys looking for him?"

"No, just passing by," Buffy answers. "Are you walking him to class?"

"Yeah," I say, a little embarrassed.

"That's really sweet," Buffy says. "You two are getting close, huh?"

I glance around, searching for Cyrus, wanting to get away from this conversation, but he's still not in sight.

"TJ?" Buffy says.

"Uh, yeah," I respond.

Buffy glances at Andi, who then says, "You spend a ton of time together too. Seems like you're becoming really good  _friends_." She puts extra emphasis on the last word, finishing with a grin.

Suddenly, my way out of this conversation shows up and I throw my arm around his shoulders, saying, "Cyrus, you're here!"

He smiles at me and I remove my arm, letting him go to open his locker. Although I'm focused on Cyrus, I can see Buffy smirking in the corner of my eye.

"What were you guys talking about?" Cyrus asks.

"Nothing," I quickly answer before Buffy can.

Cyrus closes his locker after grabbing his books, then turns to look at me, an eyebrow up.

"Nothing?"

"Yup," I confirm. "Anyway, we should get going to class."

Thankfully, he doesn't call me out on changing the subject, and instead happily agrees. "Yes." Then he looks to the girls. "I'll see you guys at lunch."

"Bye," Andi says as we walk off.

_____________________________________

**Cyrus' POV**  
  
  
  


"Hey, TJ!" I say as I go up to him in the hall.

"Hey." He smiles when he sees me.

"Buffy, Andi, Jonah and I are all going to The Spoon. Do you want to join us?"

"Actually, I'm kinda busy."

"Busy? With what?"

"Do you really wanna know?"

I nod.

"Okay, come with me."

He waves for me to follow him, then leads me down to the basement of the school. We walk through a stream of kids to get to the room at the end of the hall: the drama room.

"What are we—?"

"I'm in the improv club," TJ says before I can finish my question. He puts his hand on the back of his neck as he talks, clearly a bit embarrassed. "I joined after the whole gun situation because my parents said I should find a place to make more normal friends. I don't know if drama kids are what I'd call normal, but it's surprisingly fun. Don't tell anyone."

I smile at him. "It's cute when you're embarrassed. And don't worry. Your secret is safe with me."

His eyes wander downward as he runs his hand through his hair before reconnecting his stare with mine. "Did you just call me cute?"

I instantly feel myself turn red, hoping what I said didn't cross a line. But it was true; he is cute.

He grins, saying, "I'm just teasing you."

I let out the breath I was holding and let him open the door for me to enter the drama room. Inside, kids are clustered together in loud conversations. Noise radiates from every corner of the space. At the back of the room, a small stage sits. On either side of it, two black walls close us in, and behind me the back wall is filled with names and signatures drawn in marker on the white background.

"Woah," I say.

TJ grins and puts his arm around me. "That's the name wall," he explains. "Every drama kid gets their name up there."

"I've never been in here before," I say. "It's . . . louder than I expected."

"Those are drama kids for you," he says with a chuckle.

"And you're one of them?"

"Sort of, I guess. I joined improv pretty recently, but I found out that I really like it."

I look up at him, trying to subtly shift a little more into his embrace. "Basketball and theatre—so you're like Troy Bolton?"

"Would that make you Gabriella?" he replies.

_Troy and Gabriella fall in love. Does he realize what he's implying?_

"I don't sing," I say instead.

"Neither do I," he responds.

Then he removes his arm, leaving me feeling bare, as a boy walks up and gives him a bro-hug.

"What's up, man," the guy says. Then he looks at me. "You new?"

"This is Cyrus," TJ explains. "He's gonna watch today."

"You don't want to participate?" the boy asks me.

I immediately shake my head. "I'm much more useful as moral support than I am as an actor."

He shrugs. "If you're sure. I'm Ismoil, by the way."

"The team captain," TJ adds.

"And we're actually going to start up now, so Cyrus, you can take a seat over there if you want." He points to the bench right in front of the stage. "That's where the rest of the improv team's boyfriends and girlfriends usually sit."

"Uh, he's not my boyfriend," TJ quickly corrects.

"Oh, right. My bad," Ismoil says with a grin as he nudges TJ's shoulder.

TJ, unamused by his friend, turns to me. "You can go to The Spoon with your friends if you want. Don't feel like you have to stay for me."

I shake my head. "I want to stay and see your newly found acting skills."

He lets out a nervous laugh. "Really new. Don't judge too hard. I'm not very good."

I raise my eyebrows, saying, "You'll be great."

He smiles and our eyes stay connected for a moment until it's broken by Ismoil's voice.

"Come on up, guys! What do you want to start with?"

"It's Tuesday!" one girl suggests.

"Sure. Everyone get in a circle."

TJ smiles at me before going to join the group of kids on stage and I take a seat where Ismoil directed earlier, tucking myself into a space between two kids. TJ's eyes catch mine and I give him a supportive smile. He bites his lip and runs his hand through his hair, breaking our gaze to look around the circle of kids on stage.

It's Tuesday begins with Ismoil turning to the girl to his right, exclaiming, "It's Tuesday!"

She gasps. "That means it's the anniversary of my cat dying! I can't believe I forgot about it!"

Laughter rumbles from the group and the girl goes on to tell the person to her right that it's Tuesday. She begins worrying, saying her girlfriend is going to break up with her today. The chain of reactions continues around the circle, each followed by outbursts of laughter. When it gets to be TJ's turn, he slaps his hand to his chest in fake terror.

"It's Tuesday?" he yells, raking his hands through his hair in distress."My library books are overdue!"

Chuckles sound and it switches to be the next person's turn.

After the game is finished, the improv team plays several others. My favorite one is the prop game, where each player has to use a prop item as something other than what it is without outright stating what it is. An hour passes by, but I hardly even notice. I've been watching TJ the whole time, drawn in by the sound of his laugh.

When all the games are finished, the rest of the people watching begin mingling around with the improv club. TJ walks over and sits down next to me. Placing his hands on either side of him on the bench, his pinky brushing against mine. The touch gives me butterflies.

"What did you think of improv?"

"It looks like a lot of fun," I reply. "And I think you're very good at acting."

"Thanks, Underdog. You should try it sometime."

I shake my head. "The probability of that happening is very unlikely. Acting in front of other people is part of my stuff."

He laughs and puts his hand on my shoulder. "Well, since you're now an honorary member of the improv team, at least write your name on the wall." He gestures over to the wall of signatures.

I look back at it, smiling. "Wow. I'm now an honorary member of two Jefferson teams."

He chuckles and stands, pulling me up by the hand. He leads me to the back of the room and grabs a Sharpie from the bookshelf by the door.

"Go ahead," he says, placing the marker in my hand.

I pop the cap off and drag the green felt across an empty spot near the bottom right corner of the wall. 'Cyrus Goodman' fills the gap, although it looks far less artistically advanced than its neighbouring signatures. TJ smiles as I pass him back the marker, then he bends down to add something right beneath my name. When he stands back up I can see that the spot now says 'Cyrus Goodman + TJ Kippen' and I smile at the sight.

"Don't you already have your name on here?" I ask.

He shrugs. "Yeah, but not with yours."

He grins, locking his eyes with mine, and making my heart thump louder in my chest.

_____________________________________

**Jonah's POV**  
  
  


I notice TJ and Cyrus talking together at Cyrus' locker and go over to join them. Cyrus didn't come to The Spoon yesterday, and failed to send me, Buffy, or Andi a text to explain.

"Hey, Cyrus, TJ," I say as I approach, breaking their conversation with each other.

"Hi, Jonah," Cyrus says with a smile.

"Hey, why didn't you come to The Spoon yesterday?"

Cyrus' mouth falls open in realization. "Oh, I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," I say. "I just wish you had responded to our texts."

Cyrus pulls out his phone and looks at it. "I'm sorry. I accidentally left my phone on silent, and didn't notice the notifications until just now."

"Don't worry about it, man. Are you going to come today?"

"Of course," he replies, then he glances at TJ.

"I have a basketball practice," TJ tells Cyrus. "But let's hang out after."

"Sure," Cyrus responds. "Come to my house when it's finished."

Then they return from their own world and let me back into the conversation.

"So," I say to Cyrus, "you're coming?"

He nods.

The bell rings, scattering the kids around us.

"I should go to class," TJ says.

"Okay," Cyrus responds. "I'll see you later."

TJ and him share a stare for a moment before TJ turns to go. Cyrus keeps his eyes on the boy as he walks away. As TJ reaches a twist in the hallway, he stops to look back at Cyrus, giving him one more smile before disappearing around the corner. Cyrus spins back around to face me, but my mind is preoccupied as I recall something Amber once told me about what it means when someone looks back at you.

"I'll see you and lunch," Cyrus says.

I consider for a second whether or not I should mention Amber's statement to him, but I decide against it. I should ask TJ about it before I say anything to Cyrus.

"Yeah, for sure," I respond.

As he walks away, I reach for my phone to text Buffy and Andi, finding the group chat Andi made yesterday titled "TYRUS SHALL HAPPEN." 


	3. Chapter 3

**Buffy's POV**

 

My phone buzzes right as my science teacher starts talking. Thankfully, she doesn't notice, so when she turns around to write on the board, I quickly check my phone. It's a text from Jonah.

 **Jonah:**  TJ likes Cyrus!

I glance over at Andi who's in the desk beside me. She's looking at the same message. 

 **Buffy:**  We been knew.

 **Jonah:**  Yeah, but TJ looked back at Cyrus. 

 **Andi:** So?

 **Jonah:**  When someone looks back at you, it means they like you.

 **Andi:**  Really? I didn't know that.

 **Buffy:**  Guys! It's confirmed that TJ likes Cyrus! We have to get them together!

I hide my phone under the desk as the teacher turns around and asks the class a question. Andi does the same, giving me a glance. As soon as the teacher isn't looking again, we both open our phones again. 

 **Andi:**  Okay, it's time for us to intervene in this relationship. Buffy and I can talk to Cyrus later if you will talk to TJ.

 **Jonah:**  This is gonna be awkward.

 **Buffy:**  Jonah, do it for Tyrus!

 **Jonah:**  Okay, fine. I'll ask him about Cyrus.

 **Andi:** Don't make it too obvious that we're trying to get them together, though. That might make things weird.

 **Jonah:**  I'll try to bring it up naturally.

_____________________________________

**TJ's POV**

 

I'm sitting in class, doing an English worksheet, when I suddenly see my phone light up on my desk. I pick it up and unlock it to see a very blunt text from Jonah.

 **Jonah:** Hey, do you have a thing for Cyrus?

I automatically look around to make sure none of my classmates are paying attention to me, even though Cyrus isn't in my class, so I don't really have anything to worry about. I think it just settles my nerves a bit to know that nobody else cares what's happening on my phone. 

 **TJ:**  Why would you think that?

 **Jonah:**  I'm not judging you. I think it's actually really cool.  

I don't know what to say. I don't want to say I don't like Cyrus, because if Jonah tells Cyrus that, it would ruin any chance I have with him. But I don't want to say I do like him, because if he doesn't like me back, he would never talk to me again.

 **TJ:**  I can't talk right now. I'm in class.

It's a lame excuse, especially because my English teacher couldn't care less about who's actually doing the work, but I'm not ready to answer that question. 

_____________________________________

**Andi's POV**

 

Buffy and I find Cyrus at his locker at the end of the day, and of course TJ is there talking to him. As we approach, TJ leaves, and Cyrus lights up when he sees us. 

"Hey, guys!" he says. "Ready to go to The Spoon? Uh, where's Jonah?"

"He's on his way," Buffy responds. "How are you?"

"What were you and TJ talking about?" I add.

Cyrus shrugs. "Not much. He's going to basketball practice and we're hanging out after."

I shoot Buffy a glance. 

"What's up with you and TJ?" Buffy asks. 

"What do you mean?"

"Like, you guys act all cute together, and he walks you to class, and you hang out nearly everyday."

"You think we're cute together?" His face turns red as a tomato.

"Cyrus, do you have a crush on TJ?" I cut in. 

He lets out a strained laugh. "What? What would give you that idea?" His voice cracks as he speaks. 

"If you're scared we won't like it, you don't have to be," Buffy says. "We get that TJ's a lot nicer now than when I first met him."

"It wouldn't even matter if I liked him," Cyrus says. "He's straight."

"Cyrus," I respond. "You're kind of oblivious, you know that?."

He shakes his head. "Can we go to The Spoon now? I'm craving baby taters."

I sigh. "Yeah, okay. I'll text Jonah and tell him to meet us there."

"But we'll be talking about this later," Buffy states. 

"You guys can talk," he says. "I have nothing more to say about it."

__________________________________________

**TJ's POV**

 

Cyrus opens the door almost right away after I ring the doorbell. 

"Hey," he says. 

"Hey."

I enter the house and take my backpack off to sit it down near the door. Then I bend over to pull out a crinkly package that I bought on the way here, and hold it up for Cyrus to see.

"I brought microwave popcorn," I say. "I'm down for a  _Friends_  marathon if you are."

"Yeah, I'm down," he responds. "Or whatever direction I should be. Modern slang is complicated."

I laugh and he shows me over to the kitchen. He takes out a bowl from the cabinet and sits it on the table, while I start the microwave. After the buzzing begins, I go over to lean against the counter next to Cyrus. 

_He doesn't seem straight. He never did. Yet the possibility is enough to prevent me from making a move. He might never speak to me again. But now is the perfect time to bring it up, so maybe I'll do it casually._

"Something funny happened today," I mention, feeling my heart speed up.  _Maybe I shouldn't follow through with this idea._

"Yeah? What?"

He looks at me, but his eyes make my stomach spiral, so I have to look away.

"Jonah texted me and asked if I have a crush on you," I say with a chuckle. 

"That's funny," Cyrus responds. "Andi and Buffy asked me the same thing about you."

The fact that all of them seem think we like each other makes me grin a little, but I try to hide it. 

"That's crazy," I say. "I mean, you're not even gay."

He hesitates, then says, "Actually, I am."

I pause to look at him. He looks so worried and I just want to give him a hug. But I don't. 

"But you're not gay," he goes on. 

"No, I am."

Our stare persists, each of us studying the other. I try to dissect whatever thoughts he could be having right now, but I'm left with nothing but more questions. Then an idea comes to mind and I smile.

"That's pretty funny still—that they think we like each other," I say. "Like I'd ever want to stand close to you like this." I shift over to close the space between us, making our shoulders touch and my hand hang down by his. 

He looks down at our hands and smiles a little. 

"Right. And like I'd ever want to hold your hand like this."

He links his fingers through mine, and my pulse races even faster. I wonder if he can hear it. The microwave beeps, but neither of us are paying attention. We're both too focused on whatever this is that's happening between us. 

"Yeah," I agree with him. "And like I'd ever want to kiss you like this."

For a moment, both of us stop breathing, and I wait nervously for him to process what was just said. All of a sudden, he presses his lips to mine and the tension breaks as our bodies melt together. I hold his jaw with my hand, feeling his mouth move against mine as I try, unsuccessfully, to contain the butterflies in my stomach. 

When we divide, I hear his breathing as he looks downward, a wide smile across his face. 

"TJ?" he says, turning his eyes up to mine.

"Yeah?" 

I return my hand into his and do the same with the other, interlocking our grips. 

"I think they might've been right."

I grin. "Yeah."

His eyes flicker back to my lips and I lean in to kiss him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aww. This is undebatably cute. Sorry to be so cocky, but it's true. Yeah, thanks for reading this.


	4. Chapter 4

**Cyrus' POV**

 

TJ holds my hand as we walk to school. Pretty soon, the building comes into view, and we see Buffy, Andi and Jonah conversing together by the bike racks. 

"So," TJ says, "when our friends ask what we are, what are we going to tell them?"

I glance up at him. "Oh, yeah, we haven't said that yet, have we?"

"No, but if it's okay with you, I'd like to call you my boyfriend."

I smile. "It's absolutely okay."

We stop walking and he tilts his head down to kiss me. I imagine our heartbeats must be in sync as his lips touch mine. That seems like the only possible reason to explain how he can make me feel the way I do. 

When we pull away, the stares of a few kids in the distance burn through us, but TJ keeps his eyes on me. 

"Don't worry about them," he says. "I got you." 

He wraps his arms around me, encompassing me in a hug. 

"I like being your boyfriend," I mutter. 

He releases me and looks in my eyes. "Same." Then he takes my hand again. "You ready to keep going?"

I nod and we walk forward. Our friends watch us with smug looks on their faces as we approach. When we stop in front of them, Buffy crosses her arms. 

"So how's not liking each other going?" she asks.

TJ gives me a glance, both of us clearly dreading what we have to say next.

I let out a sigh. "Okay, you were right."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short little ending, but I thought it was kinda cute. Thank you all so much for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
